On Main Street: Trailer of hay on fire wreaks havoc

This efficient subduing did not completely prevent property damage that Walker described as “significant” to the Carlson building near the corner of Main Street and Mountain Road, where the blazing trailer was parked out front.

The flames damaged siding, causing paint to bubble like “a piece of cheese in a toaster oven,” and the front panes of three double-paned windows on the building’s upper level exploded, showering the sidewalk below with glass, according to Walker.

At one point, one of the trailer’s tires exploded from the heat, resulting in a terrifying noise.

The Carlson building is a historical structure that was built in the early 19th century and operated as a general store into the mid-20th century, according to Stowe Historical Society records.

A light pole on the street was also damaged, according to Lt. Fred Whitcomb of the Stowe Police Department, which assisted the fire department along with the Stowe Highway Department, Stowe Public Works and Stowe Rescue.

Walker said there were too many unknowns to say how the hay fire started, but Whitcomb noted that moist hay can spontaneously combust.

“When hay’s internal temperature rises above 130 degrees, a chemical reaction begins to produce flammable gas that can ignite if the temperature goes high enough. Aided by the cool temps, it’s a recipe for disaster,” he said.

Whitcomb praised the quick response from fire and police crews, which he credited for preventing further damage to the historic building.

Walker specifically credited the fact that the fire department had full-time officers available to quickly respond, a recent change the town has phased in at the department over the last few years.

Stowe town manager Charles Safford noted in his Municipal Corner column last week that the upcoming budget includes money for the potential expansion of full-time employees at the fire department following a study on its potential efficacy.

Taice and Chris Perotti, who own the Archery Close and Archery Close Men’s clothing stores on the first and second floor of the Carlson building, were in Chicago on a buying trip Tuesday morning and received updates on the incident from their employees.

“What we know is that it could have been a lot worse, and we are grateful to the Stowe Fire Department for preventing the building from catching fire. And that my double-pane windows upstairs were strong enough to hold (only outer panes broke),” Chris Perotti said.